This Section made during Bush-era (but increasingly applies to
Obama also):

Words to Remember: Truths; Wisdom; Insight How
Others Think(beware some of these people)....

How does it become a man to behave toward this American government to-day?
I answer that he cannot without disgrace be associated with it.
-- Henry David Thoreau

. At the Nuremberg war trials, Herman Goering, head of the German Air Force, gave one of
the most lucid explanations of how this process worked (as quoted by Howard
Zinn): "Naturally, the common people don't want war. But, after all,
it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter
to drag the people along. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and
denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It
works the same in any country."

________________________

Key Bush adviser Henry Kissinger's view on US supported Chilean military
coup of democraticaly elected Allende government:
"I don't see why we need to stand by and watch a country go communist due to the
irresponsibility of its own people. The issues are much too important for the Chilean
voters to be left to decide for themselves." ', as sourced in Ask Kissinger About Pinochet's
Regime.
_______________________________

When you know history, you know that governments lie,
as I.F. Stone said. Governments lie all the time. (from talk by
Howard Zinn on "..The Uses Of History
...")[buy Bill Moyers PBS DVD Buying
The War]
______________________________

' "The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest
exercises in moral philosophy: that is, the search for a superior moral justification for
selfishness." -- John Kenneth Galbraith
________________

Here is US General Thomas Power speaking in December 1960 about things like nuclear war
and a first strike by the United States: "The whole idea is to kill the bastards! At
the end of the war, if there are two Americans and one Russian, we win!" The response
from one of those present was: "Well, you'd better make sure that they're a man and a
woman." ' from Willam
Blum article

______________
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your governmant when it deserves
it....Mark Twain

Dec 2014: Obama shows some backbone ---I hope
he continues to use his executive actions AND vetoes much more in his last 2 years.
Sadly I have come to realize we still live in mostly a pre-civil rights racist America. We
have a government ruled by mostly Cover-Your-Ass (CYA) politicians concerned most with
their re-election instead of advancing the common good.Could rehash current and past
specifics(see below if interested), but those interested already know, and the majority
who do not are to uninvolved, uncritical,and have too much ego invested in their political
tribes to consider anyway.It's not that other advanced countries are any better, just that
fundamentally we are the same, only Americans are convinced we are morally better.Some of
us are, but unconvinced we are the majority anymore.And even in a pseudo-democracy the
voting majority rules---we get what most of us vote for, and those voters do not appear to
getting any "smarter" in terms of voting their true interests (my opinion) in my
lifetime. Unlikely to see 500 Elizabeth Warrens in Congress in my lifetime, but I
wish her well during the onslaught and beatdown by her "colleagues" during her
term(s) in office.

(Nov 2013) Republicans on Obama-care: Stupid policy;
stupid strategy. Stupid policy in undermining the objective of universal affordable
healthcare, instead of proposing some great improvements and actually working to make it
work. Stupid strategy, because the achilles heel of Obama-care is getting enough young and
healthy people to signup to offset the federal subsidy costs to states expanding Medicaid
to cover millions of low income poor people.Yeah, they have lame misinformation
advertising to sway young people (but facts will ultimately overcome spin-- at least among
smart people), and most all Republican governors hae opted not to expand the almost 100%
federal funded Medicaid expansion in their states.So they incur the wrath of their poor
voters by not proviving basically free healthcare,and at the same time reduce the cost
burden on Obama-care. So Democrats can blame the shortfall in covering many currently
uninsured on the Republicans, and at the same time Obama-care economics will be
better,Peersonally,I believe only a single-payer like system (Medicare for all or at least
a Public option) are the only ways to insure everyone and at the same time reduce costs to
a sustainable long-term level. WIth Obama-care it at least looks like our dysfunctional
political system is slowly drifting in the right healthcare direction.Give it another 10
years or so, and we might equal almost all other modern western countries (and some Asian
ones),

(June 2013): Political "tribalism" runs
rampant in the US just as surely as religious, racial, hereditary, economic status does in
other countries. Whatever the type, a common feature is the ignoring or misrepresentation
of all evidence contrary to the "tribal line". Note that this "tribal
line"might also be contrary to the interests of many members of the tribe even if
they are deluded into thinking not.For instance Republiucans are currently myopically
invested in several conspiracy campaigns alleging/hoping for impeachment level wrongdoings
by Obama with absolutely no interest in substantive underlying issues important to the
national interests.I consider this simply "irrational/rabid" payback for public
"investigation" of serious political crimes against the principles of our
democracy by Nixon/Reagan which they have never accepted and moved on. And Democrats
(including prominent senators like Diane Feinstein) fallback to the defense "all
is/was 'legal' " because they also supported enabling legislation like the
"Patriot Act" ()initially enacted under Bush in response to 911).The Patriot Act
is "used" as legal cover for policies like black prisons, indefinte imprisonment
in places like Guantanamo, policies that internationally qualify as inhumane, killing of
anyone/anywhere solely on the "authority" of the president, and government
routinely (I mean yesterday, today,tomorrow) storing every telepnone conversation and
email made in the US in a stupendously large government database for further potential
future investigation. And the worse indication is that a large fraction of legislators and
the general public are not surprised, indignant, appalled, "pissed". And the
Supreme Court is just as content with the situation. The "fourth estate" (the
press) basically no longer exists functionally----truth is too diluted with untruth for
the average tribal public to be forced to accept the anti-tribal-line.

And it all comes back to that. Ultimately we get the level of
dysfunctional government the public is williinmg to accept---and apparently "we"
are willing to accept damn well more than I would ever imagine.

Tribal political aficianados of any persuasion can
"interpret" the writings of (often the same) economic/[political theorists
to explain this failing of democracy:

For example consider this except from a Wikipedia article quote from
the "father" of modern economics Adam Smith's " .. Wealth of Nations ...":

"Smith also explained the relationship between growth of private
property and civil government:

"Men may live together in society with some tolerable degree of security, though
there is no civil magistrate to protect them from the injustice of those passions. But
avarice and ambition in the rich, in the poor the hatred of labour and the love of present
ease and enjoyment, are the passions which prompt to invade property, passions much more
steady in their operation, and much more universal in their influence. Wherever there is
great property there is great inequality. For one very rich man there must be at least
five hundred poor, and the affluence of the few supposes the indigence of the many. The
affluence of the rich excites the indignation of the poor, who are often both driven by
want, and prompted by envy, to invade his possessions. It is only under the shelter of the
civil magistrate that the owner of that valuable property, which is acquired by the labour
of many years, or perhaps of many successive generations, can sleep a single night in
security. He is at all times surrounded by unknown enemies, whom, though he never
provoked, he can never appease, and from whose injustice he can be protected only by the
powerful arm of the civil magistrate continually held up to chastise it. The acquisition
of valuable and extensive property, therefore, necessarily requires the establishment of
civil government. Where there is no property, or at least none that exceeds the value of
two or three days' labour, civil government is not so necessary. Civil government supposes
a certain subordination. But as the necessity of civil government gradually grows up with
the acquisition of valuable property, so the principal causes which naturally introduce
subordination gradually grow up with the growth of that valuable property. (...) Men of
inferior wealth combine to defend those of superior wealth in the possession of their
property, in order that men of superior wealth may combine to defend them in the
possession of theirs. All the inferior shepherds and herdsmen feel that the security of
their own herds and flocks depends upon the security of those of the great shepherd or
herdsman; that the maintenance of their lesser authority depends upon that of his greater
authority, and that upon their subordination to him depends his power of keeping their
inferiors in subordination to them. They constitute a sort of little nobility, who feel
themselves interested to defend the property and to support the authority of their own
little sovereign in order that he may be able to defend their property and to support
their authority. Civil government, so far as it is instituted for the security of
property, is in reality instituted for the defence of the rich against the poor, or of
those who have some property against those who have none at all." (Source: The Wealth
of Nations, Book 5, Chapter 1, Part 2) "

That is from the 18th century! It still sounds eerily relevant to Romney's
"47 %" rant, and also the government's massive bailout the the financial
industry that nearly crashed the world financial system without any criminal prosecutions
of those "1%" (or 0.1 % or o.o1 %) that wildly profited--all at public
expensE.

When/if the public is willing to entertain why our many claimed
enemies have seemingly irrational intent to do "us" harm, then maybe we will
demand rational policies---and thereafter when the other "sides' " public(s)
also learn to do the same ,then maybe the "poor" of the world will demand theit
fair "cut".

One last comment on Romney's "47 %" comment.He told it
wrong,and unfortunately many people accept the typical harangue: in actuality the real
rewards of the 1% far exceeds their contribution due to our particular unfair
implementaation of the so-called free market capitalism. I submit that according to Adam
Smith's ideas in his "Wealth of Nations" it's way past time for government
intervention to curtail the unfair spoils of the super-rich.Although I do not subscribe to
the paradigm that the best economic/political system maximizes monetary wealth (itself a
societal construct), or even that that maximizes physical goods and services ( we have
passed the time when the world could be able to provide for all its citizens if we had a
just political/economic system,and indeed the excesses of the current system are on a path
to destroy human civilization. As "proof" I submit that whereas currently the
federal tax rates on the richest are (nearly) the lowest in history, that if we return to
previous rates as high as 60% (still not near the highest of 94% !), that the supposed
capital creators will be undeterred in their quest for more wealth and society would be
better off.

Fat chance---the public is that smart..... or that near revolution
....yet ...

(Nov 2011) Obama continues the Bush disregard for
international law and fundamental precepts of justice upon which the country is
founded.[Glenn Greenwald; "With Liberty and Justice for Some: How the Law is Used to
Destroy Equality and Protect the Powerful", lecture in book and DVD formats]
Adopting the rogue nation stance of Israel allowing the unilateral murder/assassination of
people without due process anywhere in the world without regard for national sovereignty,
law, or moral principles. Examples are the use of unmanned drones to kill people (a
truly stupid and negative feedback program regardless of other issues); the murder of
Osama bin Laden on sovereign Pakistan soil without bringing to trial (wherein some measure
of moral redress could have been snatched from an otherwise stupid war in response to
basically a criminal event)( http://www.guernicamag.com/blog/2652/noam_chomsky_my_reaction_to_os/
); the promised US veto of the Palestinian security council bid to be recognized as a
sovereign state (the one opportunity to earn his Nobel prize and go down in history as a
transformative world figure ,that cannot be blocked by party politics or Congress, and
thereby accomplish more in his then-assured one term presidency than any modern president
did in two terms.(Like FDR he should take resultant pride in becoming the most hated
person by US politicians as proof that he would have done something very very right.
Unfortunately there is a real chance he could join Lincoln as a modern
"martyr".)On the positive side Obama is beginning to
stop catering to Republicans and realizing they (along with many Democrats) are the
"enemy" and he cannot count on any cooperation from them regardless of the
secondary (to them) benefit to the country. Also, I give Obama much credit for his use of
the US military in support of NATO and its support of the Libyan people in deposing
Khaddafi in their quest for a more democratic country. (Note that undoubtedly many like
McCain/Republicans would have jumped at any military excuse to "settle" old
scores with Khaddafi , and I don't know what backdoor deals had to be made with Russia and
China not to veto the UN resolution---but, whatever,I give him immense credit here. Iraq
withdrawal is welcome but way too late ;a similar hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan is not
forthcoming but would be best.Prosecution of major actors in the banking scandal and
breaking up too big to fail business/financial entities, and ending unproductive financial
activities like most derivatives, hedge funds, and wall street trading only for the
sake of trading profits alone, along with ending fractional reserve banking , and bringing
the printing of money from the Federal Reserve to within the government, are all needed
activities far from the perspective of government myopia at present.Maybe the best we can
hope for is avoiding another unnecessary, immoral and stupid war with Iran.

IRAQ WAR: Illegal, Immoral, Unnecessary. WMD/9-11 Link
lies to stoke public support for plan for regime change in IRAQ. No US intent to
withdraw from IRAQ, just to calm US public and install compliant IRAQ pro-US regime and
docile IRAQ public. Goal
is permanent US bases in Middle East to support Israel and US corporate oil
interests.Best road forward: no good choices for IRAQ or US; bring all US troops home
--NOW! Assemble a UN force under UN control to aid IRAQ in whatever capacity emerges.US to
admit errors and fund UN at same current $200 million per day (!) being spent on Iraq war,
for years. View1 ... View2All Government's Lie

M ... The illusion of a woman (Clinton) or black (Obama) president is but a shadow of
real change. Either just shows that "minorities" have (finally) been fully
integrated into the US typically white ,male power structure. Arguably even that is cause
for patriotic pride. But I require more from my country that is responsible for over a
million unnecessary Iraqi deaths, destruction of a country, wanton pursuit of a new
generation of nuclear arms,threatening further international aggression on pre-emptive
strike principles, inhuman torture, undermining of confidence in international justice
(and UN) by unprincipled support of Israel in stealing Palestinian lands and
apartheid,starting a new nuclear race by trying to develop a defensive missile system that
could protect it even if it engaged in unlawful international aggression,continued stupid
self-defeating policies toward Iran,DPRK,Cuba,Venezuela ....,waffling on global
warming,International Criminal Court,un-American domestic spying (bypassing
FISA),Guantanamo,unlawful rendition,Patriot act,...,(despite Democratic incremental
prospects on universal healthcare,taxation-balanced budget-social welfare net,
overemphasis on immigration red herring) ....(See Helen THomas) "Democrats Need to Take
A Stand

So I still will vote for Kucinich (Primary) Peace & Freedom (general election) and not
Obama ... (not lesser evil) ... B

PS: I suppose one could vote for Obama in the hope that he is pursuing a public campaign
necessary to get elected ,and will pursue a more real change ala the above if elected.
However that prospect is so unlikely as not to get my vote.

[28 Jan 2008....Kucinich has dropped out....so I am considering voting for Obama in
primary....but I doubt he will get the democratic support to implement real change...so I
expect I will still vote third party...Bill]

June 2008: I plan to VOTE For Obama; I will give the man a chance.

The Most Important Book I Ever read; Exposing the Fairytale: Howard
Zinn's "A Peoples History of the United States;1492-Present",2003

Amazon.com
Consistently lauded for its lively, readable prose, this revised and updated edition of A
People's History of the United States turns traditional textbook history on its head.
Howard Zinn infuses the often-submerged voices of blacks, women, American Indians, war
resisters, and poor laborers of all nationalities into this thorough narrative that spans
American history from Christopher Columbus's arrival to an afterword on the Clinton
presidency.
Addressing his trademark reversals of perspective, Zinn--a teacher, historian, and social
activist for more than 20 years--explains, "My point is not that we must, in telling
history, accuse, judge, condemn Columbus in absentia. It is too late for that; it would be
a useless scholarly exercise in morality. But the easy acceptance of atrocities as a
deplorable but necessary price to pay for progress (Hiroshima and Vietnam, to save Western
civilization; Kronstadt and Hungary, to save socialism; nuclear proliferation, to save us
all)--that is still with us. One reason these atrocities are still with us is that we have
learned to bury them in a mass of other facts, as radioactive wastes are buried in
containers in the earth."

If your last experience of American history was brought to you by junior high school
textbooks--or even if you're a specialist--get ready for the other side of stories you may
not even have heard. With its vivid descriptions of rarely noted events, A People's
History of the United States is required reading for anyone who wants to take a fresh look
at the rich, rocky history of America. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.